2015 : The Art of Non-Conformity

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6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXIX

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

“Someone stole naked pictures of me. This is what I did about it” -- A Danish Journalist speaks out about consent

Reading a James Patterson Book Before It Self-Destructs -- As part of an unconventional marketing plan, a man attempts to read James Patterson’s latest novel-of-the-week

It’s Time to Forgive Yourself -- Nicole revisits an experience from long ago

1,000 Cups of Latte Art Tell the Story of a Boy and Girl Meeting -- File under: awesome + “only in Japan”

Astonishing Photos of an Extremely Rare “Flipped” Iceberg -- Surprising: All the shiny parts are underneath

Writing Your Way to Happiness -- New research shows that writing and rewriting your personal story can lead to behavioral changes

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7 Alternative Ways to Evaluate Your Life Every Day

As regular readers know, I’m all about setting goals and working toward big projects over time. When you have a big goal, especially one with a clear end point, it’s easy to know when you’ve achieved it. But most big goals take time, and—as I’ve been learning—our lives consist of more than just a series of work-oriented projects that occupy our time.

No, to truly define success, we need to think of both these long-term goals and the actions we take every day. We also need to ensure our lives are in proper order. The challenge lies in the middle: how do we accomplish all of this?

Therefore, it may be more helpful to create an alternative method of evaluating ourselves as we go along. Here are seven different ideas to consider.

1. At the end of the day, ask yourself, “Did today matter?”

Sure, you could spend a long time thinking back on your to-do list and reviewing your calendar. And what were all those emails about? But when you ask yourself this question, chances are you’ll know the answer intuitively.

Did today matter? If so, great. Do more things like it tomorrow. Can't remember anything in particular that made a difference? Well, better change it up.

Before you hit the ground running, take a few moments in meditation or thoughtfulness to decide what you’d like to see happen by the end of the day. Again, be sure to prioritize: it would be great to make a ton of progress on everything, but you probably won’t. What's most important? What is realistic to achieve?

Travel

Why I Keep Returning to My Least Favorite Hotel in London

Many years back, I checked into the Sheraton Heathrow after winning a bid on Priceline. It was incredibly cheap—something like $30-40 for the night, as I recall.

At the time I was still new to the world of branded hotels. A few times a year, I might stay in a Starwood or Hilton property. I spent the rest of the nights in hostels, guesthouses, or on the couches of kind hosts. Arriving at the Sheraton Heathrow for the first time, I remember thinking, huh, this hotel is a little weird—but hey, it’s a hotel!

Everything about it was dismal, from the carpeting in the public guest floor areas to the tiny, unclean rooms, right on down to the attitude of the staff, who didn’t seem particularly pleased to be working there.

As I traveled more and more, I returned to the Sheraton Heathrow a couple times a year. Each time I had more experience in staying at other hotels, and finally I came to the realization: it's not me—this place is just really bad.

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A Reader’s Suggestions for Adderall Alternatives: CILTEP & Bromantane

I’m still getting a ton of emails about my decision to try the prescription drug Adderall to help with focus. I'm currently more than a month into the experiment, and so far I'm still pretty happy with it.

After I posted some comments from a reader’s long-term experience with it, I heard of a couple alternatives that I thought I’d pass along for those who are interested.

Here are some more anonymous comments from a different reader:

Travel

Achievement Unlocked: 2 Million American Airlines Miles

For 17 hours on a Round-the-World trip, I flew on the longest currently operating American Airlines flight, from Dallas to Hong Kong. It’s 8,000 or so flight miles, and I ended the flight a millionaire.

Well, sort of—this flight helped me achieve a longstanding goal of earning 2 million AA flight miles.

Until a couple of years ago, you could obtain “Million Miler” status with American through any kind of miles added to your account, including miles from credit card signups, bank deposits, dining bonuses, online shopping bonuses, and pretty much anywhere under the sun.

Life

“Acceptance Isn’t Agreement”: A Lesson from Chris Brogan

Normally I’m not an auditory learner and have a hard time paying attention to lectures or podcasts. In the case of the “Brave New Year” program by Chris Brogan (not an affiliate link; I purchased it for regular price), however, I was able to go through the whole thing.

I particularly like what Chris had to say about the subject of acceptance. Here’s an excerpt:

Profiles

25 Journeys, 1,000 Miles Each : Dave Cornthwaite’s Quest

This is a quest case study. (Read others or nominate yourself.)

Dave Cornthwaite's quest has been called "One of the most ambitious adventures of the 21st century," and in the process of his journey he has broken nine world records. Here's his story:

Introduce yourself and your quest.

A decade ago I spent two weeks learning how to skateboard, and promptly quit my graphic design job to spend the next year skateboarding further than anyone else had ever skated. I traversed the length of Britain (as a warm up) and then skated Australia.

Now, I’m working on what I call Expedition1000: 25 journeys of 1,000 miles or more, each using a different form of non-motorized transport.

Travel

Travel Disasters and Misadventures Are Good for Us

Earlier this year, as I was wrapping up the writing for The Happiness of Pursuit, I commissioned an illustration from Mike Rohde to commemorate a few of my more spectacular travel disasters and misadventures:

[View or Download as a PDF] All of these experiences, even the negative ones, were helpful in building confidence to continue the journey.

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How the Password You Select Can Help You Achieve Your Goals

From a long article about the history of passwords, I thought this story was especially fun:

For some people, these rituals are motivational. Fiona Moriarty, a competitive runner, told me that she often used “16:59” — her target time for the 5,000 meters in track. Mauricio Estrella, a designer who emailed me from Shanghai, described how his passwords function like homemade versions of popular apps like Narrato or 1 Second Everyday, which automatically provide its user with a daily reminder to pause and reflect momentarily on personal ambitions or values.

To help quell his anger at his ex-wife soon after their divorce, Estrella had reset his password to “Forgive@h3r."

“It worked,” he said. Because his office computer demanded that he change his password every 30 days, he moved on to other goals: “Quit@smoking4ever” (successful); “Save4trip@thailand” (successful); “Eat2@day” (“it never worked, I’m still fat,” Estrella wrote); “Facetime2mom@sunday” (“it worked,” he said, “I’ve started talking with my mom every week now”)

Work

Build a Sales Machine That Works While You Sleep — Free Training with Ramit Sethi

Link: Free Training from Ramit

Starting a business can seem overwhelming. With so much terrible advice on the internet, there are thousands of hopeful online entrepreneurs that waste years spinning their wheels wondering "When is the money going to come?"

My friend Ramit Sethi, who has built a hugely successful online business and community with a massive portfolio of products, has a better way.

Profiles

“Because of Traveling, We Know Ourselves”: On the Road with Jim and Rhonda Delemeter

This is a traveler case study. (Read others or nominate yourself).

Jim and Rhonda, long-term travelers, aren't afraid to "jump into the void." Here's their story.

Tell us about yourselves. What inspired you to leave home and travel?

Back in 2007 we sold our house and backpacked around the world for 14 months, which made us hungry for something more. In spite of having really great lives in the USA, we wanted to open our minds to other influences.

The more you travel, the more you realize that the way you do something isn’t necessarily the "right" way. Even, such as in places like India, when we simply don't always understand their way, we are at least able to stand back and say, "Okay, this is perhaps not the way we would have done things, but that's alright.”

Work

The Donut Man of Seattle Speaks Out—With a Big Complaint About a Book I Wrote

Ever get a totally unexpected email? A blast from the past? This week I heard from someone about a passing encounter that took place eight years ago. Here’s the story!

Travel

Memories of Johannesburg Airport, 2006 to 2015

Yesterday I walked off the jetway into the transit area of Johannesburg’s international airport and had a flashback. I’d been here so many times... yet I always remember coming here years ago, way back in 2006 for the first time.

Back then I was beginning a new way of life. I had ended my four-year stint on a hospital ship in West Africa. I was going to a new home in Seattle—eventually. But first I had a side trip: I had to pick up a new country!

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Life

Hope, Assumptions, and Expectations (Hint: Only One Is Good for You)

“You have got to have hope. But maybe you must learn, and it is hard learning, not to hope out loud … You must not let your hope turn into expectation.” -Wendell Berry

Lesson: You can let go of expectations without letting go of hope.

1 Comment

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6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXVIII

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

Routines of Famous Creative People (Interactive Version) -- How different artists and writers worked, partied, and sometimes even slept

An Insanely Simple 3 Step Guide For Killing Procrastination -- How to schedule your most important work—and ensure that it actually happens

Not Dead Yet: How Some Video Stores Are Still Thriving -- Blockbuster’s long gone, but a few independent video stores have taken a different approach

Roberto Saviano on the Fear of Assassination -- An Italian writer has been living under armed guard for eight years

Why Diners Are More Important Than Ever -- Includes the 8 characteristics of how you know you’re at a diner

When It Comes to Sunk Costs, Are Children and Animals More Rational than Adults? -- Some research suggests that adults have it all wrong

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